The Cerrado: Production and Protection

The report examines the tension between the Cerrado's role as a global agricultural powerhouse and the environmental cost of its expansion, which has seen 50% of its native vegetation lost. It proposes a vision where economic growth is decoupled from land conversion by restoring degraded pastures and intensifying sustainable production, potentially adding $47-72 billion annually to Brazil's GDP by 2030. The document outlines specific strategies for sustainable agriculture, bioenergy, and green industry, alongside a protection agenda involving carbon markets, stricter law enforcement, and financial incentives for no-conversion.

• The Cerrado is a critical global agricultural hub, contributing over 60% of Brazil's total agricultural output, including 22% of global soybean and 23% of global sugarcane production.
• Agricultural expansion has caused the loss of 50% of the Cerrado's native vegetation, with 30 million hectares converted over the last 20 years. In 2023, conversion increased by 43% compared to the previous year, reaching 7,800 km2.
• Land use and agriculture are the primary drivers of Brazil's greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for 66% of the national total. In 2022, net emissions from the Cerrado were 396 Mt CO2e, with 77% arising from land use and agriculture.
• The conversion of native vegetation threatens the region's water security and climate stability; river flows in the Cerrado are projected to decline by one-third by 2050 without sustainable land-use practices.
• A transition to sustainable production and protection could add between $47 billion and $72 billion annually to Brazil's GDP by 2030. This includes $17-19 billion from sustainable agricultural intensification, $12-19 billion from bioenergy and renewables, and $7-14 billion from green industry.
• There is significant potential to expand production without further conversion by restoring degraded pasturelands; up to 38 million hectares of such land could be restored for soy and corn production.
• The Cerrado could significantly support the aviation sector's decarbonization; one million hectares could produce 6.48 billion litres of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from ethanol, meeting 90% of Brazil's current demand.
• Monetizing the protection and restoration of natural habitats could add $11-20 billion to Brazil's GDP by 2030, utilizing carbon markets, bioeconomy solutions, and ecotourism.
• Implementation of the Brazilian Forest Code is lagging, with less than 1% of Rural Environmental Registries (CAR) fully processed in the decade since its 2012 overhaul.

APA

World Economic Forum (2024). The Cerrado: Production and Protection. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Sustainable_Transition_Cerrado_2024.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. The Cerrado: Production and Protection. 2024. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Sustainable_Transition_Cerrado_2024.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=The Cerrado: Production and Protection |date=February 2024 |url=https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Sustainable_Transition_Cerrado_2024.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2024cerrado, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{The Cerrado: Production and Protection}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2024}, month = feb, url = {https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Sustainable_Transition_Cerrado_2024.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }